


Space Girl

by thefoxwoman



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Farmer (Stardew Valley), Backstory, Coming Out, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbians in Space, No Lesbians Die, Platonic Relationships, Science, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Sword lesbians, Women Being Awesome, womeninSTEM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 15,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29665260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefoxwoman/pseuds/thefoxwoman
Summary: For centuries humans have dreamt about life on other worlds, whether its within myth and religion, or up in the sky- in space.Maru has never felt like she belonged on this planet. Her head is in the night sky and her feet untethered to reality. She's wrapped up in searching for those signs of life, listening for a signal, anything that might suggest there's more to the universe than what she can see through her telescope.Abigail feels like she's never grown up and maybe she never will. She's still chasing legends and stories, no matter how dangerous they might be. A threat on her life is nothing, when she'd give up everything just to solve the mysteries of the past.The two interact throughout painful growing years in life, when both feel alienated and alone. A future discovery in the desert might lead to more than just ruins and sand. A story about two dreamers, who look deeply into the past and future, only to find themselves in the present staring at each other.
Relationships: Abigail/Maru (Stardew Valley), Maru/Penny (Stardew Valley), Sam/Sebastian (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Contact (the book/movie by Carl Sagan), Indiana Jones, Hidden Figures, and Desert Hearts. 
> 
> I'll try to update this story every week until I'm finished.

It’s radio silent on the small blue planet when she comes into the world. What could prepare her? A blinding flash of light, a sudden stunned feeling of being, a weight pulling her navel down. It is gravity and it is everywhere. She’s squinting her eyes at the brightness of it all. There are shadows, shapes, moving in her line of sight. Somehow, she registers them and fades them out of her cognizance at the same time. 

Touch comes fully to her at first. She can feel the hard surface she is placed on. There’s something jutting into her back. There’s something sturdy and heavy covering her head. There’s something wrapped around her fingers, a tough textile. She can’t feel her fingers quite yet, but she understands that she’s swathed in something. 

She tastes something grainy and metallic in her mouth. She experiments with moving her tongue around. There’s a slight sting on the inside of her cheek. But her teeth are there, and her lips are cracked. 

The scent of sweat hits her and she’s wrinkling her nose up at it. She moves a little and finds that the stench intensifies when that happens. The sweat must be coming from her. She feels hot, and sticky. But there’s another scent mingling in; a faint hint of jasmine. It brings to mind a memory so strong it forces her into the present. 

Suddenly, sound assaults her from every corner. It’s so jarring that she jerks back for a minute. There’s a series of clicking, a crunching noise and a repetitive beeping. The same urgent tone, over and over in five second intervals fills her head space. Then, “Do you copy?” some static noise, “Come in! Do you copy?” more static. “Maru?” 

Her vision is slowly coming back. She can tell she’s in a vessel. She sees a red light flashing, and looks to see her hands covered by thick gloves. It seems her whole body is covered in a thick suit, including a helmet. She must be attached to oxygen, or something, her mind is not fully processing how she can breathe and be in a glass sphere. Her mind isn’t processing a lot other than her five senses as someone breaks through the cockpit glass and looks at her with concerned blue eyes.


	2. Part 1: The Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1: The Universe 
> 
> “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” -Carl Sagan

Maru could tell her dad was excited by the way he fumbled around his wallet, extracting two folded tickets for the event. He handed them over the girl at the booth with a sheepish grin. She wasn’t at an age to be embarrassed by her father yet. Although her mom told her frequently that there would be a time when she would want nothing to do with them. Maru didn’t like to think that day would come, and in the grand tradition of children everywhere, expected it to happen when she was way older, like in her teens. Time was long for her. And why bother worrying about being old and cranky when the most important time was right here? With her fumbling father, making their way through the small community theater to their seats. 

They lived in the suburbs, just outside the city. Far enough away to have a quiet two-story home, with a yard and a garage. Close enough to come to special events like tonight, then afterwards get food from a truck and if she was lucky, maybe a sugary treat too. Maru eagerly anticipated nights like tonight because it meant a small adventure from the otherwise monotony of her block routine—which consisted mostly of rotating between fiddling with the radio, watching science television programs, and doing homework. Occasionally she played with the girls her age, learning to roller-skate in the cul-de-sac and pick lemons off of their neighbor’s trees. 

Nights like tonight meant that her mom would let her use her special shampoo and help her comb her naturally curly hair out into whatever style Maru was feeling. Sometimes it was braids, sometimes it was a bouncy ponytail, but most times it was her favorite: two buns on either side of her head. Her mom called them space buns and called her “Sparks” on account of how much Maru looked like a little science fiction starlet. 

Nights like tonight also meant that the whole family got dressed up. Of course, Maru and Demetrius would dress much later. But Adhira would start in the middle of the day, hours before the show. She would take a long luxurious bath, filling the house with the scent of jasmine oil and incense. Then she’d take great care in choosing her outfit for the evening. On this night, she was wearing a _lehenga choli_ in red and magenta shades. She fashioned her long sweeping hair into an elaborate up-do, revealing her ears adorned with pearl and gold inlaid earrings. Multiple gold necklaces were wound around her neck. Bangles and rings on her wrist. And finally, Maru’s favorite accessories: _ghungroos_ , anklets with little tinkling bells. Adhira looked like a princess from a fairytale, and usually, that was the part she would play, as these theater trips were to watch her perform in a classical Indian Kathak dance troupe. 

The lights dimmed, and the curtain fell away, and a silhouette was revealed on stage. Maru knew it was her mother, but the anticipation of that darkness fading away kept her on the edge of her seat. She could tell her dad was excited too, his hand holding hers increased just the slightest of pressures. The music began, a symphony of strings and drums, and the silhouette on the stage began to move. As if she was taking off makeup and jewelry and preparing for bed. As if she were to begin sleeping. Then a shift in the music indicated that she was swept up in a dream and the lights finally shone on Adhira as she lept up and began to twirl. 

It was always like magic when Maru watched this performance. Her mother was graceful, beautiful and smart. She had several degrees in engineering and physics but preferred to spend her waking hours dancing and teaching classes of her heritage. It was what Maru admired about her. She supposed it was what her father admired about her too. 

“What’d you think Sparks?” Adhira asked her after the show, an armful of lilies from her students who came to watch. 

“Watch me twirl!” Maru giggled, a child of eight years, exceptionally observational and excitedly imaginative. 

Demetrius and Adhira frequently had playful arguments of where those traits came from. 

The three of them strolled through the pleasantly warm evening in the city, Maru swinging between her parents as the skyscrapers towered above them. The ice cream shop was around the corner, and her stomach was already pleasantly full of the pupusas that they had consumed earlier. The night was clear, which was a rare occurrence in the city, and when Maru tilted her head up, she could the stars. Once, Adhira told her that looking into the night sky was like looking into the past. Maru wondered for a long second, what those stars had witnessed. What beautiful moments -what memory- they might have of this planet. She stared so long into the sky, that at some point she felt herself pulled by it. The gravity of the earth no longer holding her back, the imagination of a child floating through time and space. 

~

When the news came of a horrible car crash, no survivors, on the commute from the suburbs to the city, Demetrius paused to look at his daughter. She was fiddling with a toy telescope that Adhira had just given her for her birthday a week prior. She was so young, too young, to have to experience this. And he made a choice then, that would affect Maru for the rest of her life. He would have to build stability for her, he would have to move on. Adhira would have wanted that.


	3. Coherent Light

Every Sunday Maru would wake and put on her best outfit and attempt to do her hair in a style that wasn’t “offensive” to the moms of the town. Of course, this sent Robin into a spiraling rage when Maru once told her that Jodi had approached her and mentioned that her hair might look a little “unprofessional.” 

It was after a particularly horrible teasing, because high schoolers can be horrible to each other as they figure out the ways of the world, when Maru requested some chemical straighteners. Robin tried to talk her out of it, but Maru’s stubbornness persisted. She learned through an internet blog how to straighten her own hair. Now, she looked at herself in the mirror, with her straight hair and glasses, and started to wish for other parts of her body to be easily changed with a chemical substance. 

It was Sunday. Maru was looking into the mirror, wishing for her nose to be smaller, narrower or her skin to be just a shade lighter. She always wanted to be the girl that was smarter than that. She knew in the back of her mind, that this wasn’t all there is. That beauty is in the eye of the beholder and whatnot. But it’d been difficult, to grow up in a town where your dad is the only other person of color against the alabaster skin that the rest of the residents had. It was hard not to notice that every day, especially in high school, when bodies were changing so fast. 

Maru often felt like an alien, disassociated from her body. Beyond her hair and desire to make it flat and straight and shiny, she looked at the rest of her body as another thing to modify or change. But she never felt any real connection with it. Not the way that girls like Haley seemed to connect with their body, using it as a way to communicate. Haley always seemed so comfortable in her own skin. 

“Maru?” A knock was at the door and then the sound of the knob turning was heard. Maru looked over to see Robin stepping in, a cup of coffee in her hands. 

“You look beautiful.” She said, her smile oozing matronly warmth. That’s Robin, Maru figured. 

Her father had met Robin just a year after the accident. Maru had recognized that he needed someone, that their family unit wasn’t complete. It still hurt when he told her that he was going to propose, fully validating the absence that Adhira had left in their lives. Robin was nice, a bit fiery and defensive, but still a good-hearted human. Maru had no doubt that Robin would defend her and Demetrius, that she would take them in and give them that stability that they both craved. 

Robin was looking at her now, a mixture of pride and pity, as Maru tried to straighten out her skirt. She didn’t like skirts; they always made her feel like she needed to move a specific way in order for them to flatter her. 

“Here, let me.” Robin tucked in Maru’s shirt and handed her a thin leather belt. They looked in the mirror together. 

“You look beautiful.” Robin reiterated. 

Maru simply nodded her thanks. 

~

The church was stuffy as Maru and Penny made their way to some seats. Older folks had filled in first, sitting near the front. The two teenage girls found some seats on the edge, just as the service began. Maru shot a look at Penny, who was busy engaging herself with the prayer booklet. 

They had become friends out of necessity. Both were quite introverted and bookish. They sat together in the library and studied for classes, Penny helped Maru with literature and Maru returned the favor for calculus. They frequently joked with one another that they’d become old spinsters together. Between the ever-changing popularity current and the way that trends moved around them, as if they were the only rocks in a steady stream of teenage inside jokes and mating dances, Maru figured it might as well become true. Besides, Penny was nice to be around, nice to have as a friend. If they grew old together, Maru would be certain that they could fulfill each other’s needs as little old ladies. 

Penny’s hair was perfectly coifed, the red curls hanging lightly over one of her petite shoulders. Maru often wondered how she took care of it. There were sleepovers of course, but Penny’s hair always maintained perfection. She was prim and proper in all of the ways that made the ladies of Pelican Town sigh and wish for their sons to court her. 

Sometimes Maru thought about what it would be like to be married to Penny. They’d have healthy meals together. Maybe she’d teach Maru how to bake. This train of thought was always somewhere in Maru’s jumbled mind, between the science fiction novels and the latest physics assignments. She didn’t know if it meant anything, other than that it’d be nice. To be married to her best friend. 

That might as well have been the extent of Maru’s thought pattern regarding relationships. In those formative growing years, while her peers were experimenting with touch and taste, Maru was holding a window into the sky. Her telescope provided so many wonders, where she could escape to. The boys she was supposed to find “desirable” seemed like nuisances to her. And the dance of acting shallow or small around them was detestable. She tried to conform once, an attempt at flirting with her older brother’s friend Sam. It was a disaster and one that Sebastian held over her head for months. So, Maru fell into a deep passion with the sky, ironically setting her telescope’s view on the planet Venus. 

~  
The church service was wrapping up, and Penny was wiping a tear from her small handkerchief. 

“Thanks for coming with me today.” She told Maru, as if Maru didn’t wake up early every week to join her friend in celebrating her religion. 

“It’s interesting. I like it.” Maru said, a small lie through her teeth. Religion was a way to invent the universe. But the actual universe was so much more complex and interesting than a god created by humans. 

They were interrupted by a slammed door, from a different part of the building. Maru turned to look in the direction of the sound, only to see a girl striding through the big living room. It was Sebastian’s only female friend, tracking muddy boot prints on the polished wooden floor. There was something about her that irked Penny, and by association, Maru too. Abigail flipped her long braided purple hair over her shoulder and smirked at the two of them from across the room. 

Definitely irksome, thought Maru.


	4. Binary Code

There was something about working with her hands that Maru just inherently understood. She could feel the logic of connecting mechanical parts between her fingertips. Most people would take a problem and only just look at it. Maru would hold it in the palm of her hand, turn it over and find out what would lock it together. 

It was an inherited gift from her mother, Demetrius proclaimed to her in the lab one day, as she fixed one of his microscopes. 

“Did she ever build anything?” Maru pressed. 

“She built lots of things,” Demetrius responded but he never elaborated. Even now, when she was seventeen, Maru could still feel the guilt and grief stem from her father. 

They continued the lab work in silence.

~  


It was a weekend night, which meant that her dad took Robin out to the Saloon for “date night.” They left money for takeout (from Gus) on the counter, and a list of chores and emergency contact numbers. Pelican Town was so small, but Robin’s carpentry shop and home was up in the mountains. They were the only people around for miles. 

Usually, Penny would come hang out those nights, the two girls reading their books in the cozy living room. They would stay up until midnight, each both absorbed by the stories they were reading to check the time. Then the house would get a call from the Saloon. It would be Emily on the other end of the line, new to the bartending work, and discreet enough to let Penny know that Pam was ready to go home. And Penny would close her book, straighten her spine, and walk out the door. Maru offered to help her once, but the shame registered across Penny’s face was enough to let her know that it wasn’t wanted. The front door would close, and Maru would go to bed, already planning how she would sit with Penny the next morning. 

It was nearing the hour that Penny would arrive. Maru had finished her half of the chores, and even did a few of Sebastian’s. After her dad came home one night and found that he hadn’t done a single thing and yelled at him for it, Maru felt bad. Sebastian hadn’t asked for a new family. Not like how she had, how she wanted something to be complete in her life. So she would sometimes sweep a little extra or take the dishes out of the washer. She wondered if Sebastian ever noticed, but he never said anything to her. 

Maru liked having a sibling. For all their differences and complexities, she admired Sebastian. He was two years older than her, and it felt like a world of difference. He was taking online classes and working as a freelance programmer. She wanted to know what drew him to it. Was it the challenge of an incomprehensible script? Or did he simply like the way his fingers ran over the keys as he typed out a code only recognizable by a machine? 

They never really fought with each other. Some parents could say that’s a blessing, especially when two families are joining. Sometimes though, Maru could feel a deep resentment stemming from him. It may have been his relationship with his father, a man who walked out on him and Robin early on. But Maru couldn’t help internalizing it, forever worried that she would offend him. 

Still though, they could find common ground on a few things. Science fiction was the main lifeline between them. Sebastian had an extensive collection of paperbacks, and Maru was allowed to borrow them after he had finished reading. Penny always rolled her eyes at Maru’s choice in literature. 

“You could read literally anything else.” She pointed out, her hands wrapped around another literary classic. 

“I like seeing if they’re scientifically accurate.” Maru retorted. She was lying through her teeth. She liked the adventure, the passion, and the way the characters found life elsewhere. 

The only person who would discuss that with her was now in his basement bedroom. So Maru took the stairs down, and gently knocked. 

“Who is it?” Her brother’s voice sounded from inside. 

“It’s me.” She said. “I wanted to borrow a book.” 

“Come in.” 

The first thing that assailed her nose was the smell. A cross between a skunk and roasted herbs floated in the haze before her. In the middle of the room, Sebastian sat with a blue glass vase. Sprawled across his lap was Sam, idly playing with his boyfriend’s hoodie. And on the couch, legs crossed and lazy smirk across her face, sat Abigail. 

“Aww how cute Seb!” she drawled, “Your sister and you read the same nerd books!” 

Maru flushed. Being teased by girls like Haley was harmless. Those taunts were written off by desire to stand outside of the conformity of high school. But Abigail, and in the same vein -Sebastian and Sam- were already out of that conformity. They were the ones who made rebellion look cool. The ones who mothers would scoff at, and fathers would shake their heads. That’s why they were sitting in this den, in a glow of smoke, planning whatever midnight rendezvous they would inevitably get in trouble for. 

“Down girl.” Said Sam, who was now moving off of Sebastian’s lap to let him pull a book off his shelf. 

“Don’t leave so soon Maru, or -Ru? What pet name should I give you?” Abigail was apparently playful this evening. 

“Neither.” Maru was not. She was uncomfortable and didn’t like the way that breathing in this smoke made her feel. 

“Aw Sebastian, your sister’s a bore!” 

“And you’re so interesting Abi?” her brother shot back. Sometimes Maru couldn’t tell if he was ever truly defending her, or if this was a usual game that they all played. 

She took the book from Sebastian’s hands and scurried up the stairs. Abigail’s howling laughter followed.


	5. Piggyback Bracket

“I don’t like her.” 

“You’ve mentioned that already Penny.” 

They were sitting on a bench in the town square, discussing the previous night. At around the same time that Emily usually called, the three trolls in the basement crept up the stairs. They were giggling and shoving each other around. In the hallway they overheard Sebastian tickling Sam, their shrieks and yelps echoing around the corner. They shuffled around the kitchen, shoving leftovers into their mouths and talking loudly. As some point the boys must’ve started making Abigail feel like a third wheel, because she exited the kitchen to join Maru and Penny in the living room. 

“How are we ladies?” She had said, executing an impression of a waitress. 

“We’re fine, though you guys are a bit loud.” Penny said pointedly. 

“Oh, well I do apologize for disturbing your reflective moments.” 

“I’m hardly inclined to believe that.” 

“Is my brother okay?” 

Abigail looked at Maru then, a glint in her eyes. 

“I think Sam’s taking care of him just fine.” 

“Oh, that is just crude!” Penny exclaimed. 

“Does it make you uncomfortable? Are you going to pray for forgiveness to Yoba on behalf of your friend’s brother?” 

“Abigail, please stop.” Maru found it within herself to speak again. Penny was getting agitated, and it was close to Pam’s cut off time. Her best friend had enough to deal with, without Abigail taunting her about her faith. 

A curious thing happened then, after she spoke. A look of guilt quickly crossed over Abigail’s face. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, replaced by a Cheshire cat’s smile. 

“What about you Maru?” She pressed, “Are you uncomfortable with it?” 

She didn’t need to ask what “it” Abi was referring to. Sebastian and Sam had come out a year ago, not that they really needed to. Everyone in town had whispered for years before that. Jodi was unpleasant about it, and it had nearly broken the friendship between Robin and her. Somehow, Jodi was still under the impression that it was a phase on Sam’s part. And that Sebastian was a bad influence. 

That night, after everyone had left the house and it was finally quiet, Maru thought about it. She had asked Demetrius once, about animals in the wild and the “relationships” they pursued. Her father, of course thinking she was asking for knowledge (and she was, in a way) had answered with all sorts of examples. He mentioned penguins, aphids, and macaques. They developed same sex relationships, he explained, as a way for pleasure, and advantages in securing a mate for reproduction. Like every scientific explanation from him, it was told in a dry, humorless manner. 

“It’s just that she knows when she’s about to get under your skin, and then she does!” Penny’s exclamation brought Maru back to reality. 

“I think she was just high. Those psychological effects of whatever they were smoking can’t be great for brain development.” 

Penny giggled, and Maru felt pleased that her friend had relaxed. 

“I think she’s just jealous she can’t kiss her best friends.” Penny sighed. 

“I think she _has_ kissed them; I think she wants _us_ to be the jealous ones.” Maru pondered. 

“Well, I refuse to be jealous of that.” 

Maru chuckled. It was just like Penny, to see it as a bothersome challenge issued by someone as wild and spoiled as Abigail. 

~

Harvey was the new doctor in town, setting up shop next to Pierre’s. He immediately sent out a town wide request for a receptionist, and Maru had applied. It would look good on college applications, to have experience in a professional field. And while her dad and Robin began to silently hope she would become a doctor, Maru spent most of her days in that office filling out charts and hoping to never see a blood sample ever again. 

Still, she liked Harvey. He was friendly and bumbling and a little absent minded. But he showed great care to his patients, and for that, the town loved him. He was also extremely nice to Sebastian and Sam, whereas most of the town pretended to look the other way if the two were seen holding hands. Harvey would have scheduled check ups with both, and usually include safe same sex education with both, to their embarrassment. Maru, tasked with computerizing these reports, pretended like she didn’t know this. But sometimes, she’d take a handful of condoms from the clinic and sneak into Sebastian’s room when he wasn’t there to add them to his bedside drawer. She prided herself in knowing that most sisters wouldn’t be that thoughtful for their mean older brothers. 

The clinic was a bit slow today, and Maru found herself finished with paperwork early. She was on a quick online search for Astrophysics programs when the doors suddenly burst open. Snapping her head up and simultaneously clicking out of the website, she saw Abigail limp in. 

Her face had scratches all over it and her braid was mussed, as if someone or something was pulling the strands out. She had some long gashes on her arms, and she was holding one hand over her left side. 

“Is Harvey here?” she gasped. 

“I’ll call him right now!” Maru begin to press the phone button that reached Harvey’s pager in his office. “Abigail, what happened to you?” 

She grinned -she actually grinned at Maru! -when she told her. 

“Had a little tumble in the mines.” 

~

Maru walked her home. Mostly, she told herself, it was because her shift was ending, and Pierre’s was right next to the clinic anyways. Abigail, now bandaged up and beaming, had more pep in her step than one who had to get thirteen stitches on her abdomen rightly should. 

“Well, this was lovely. Thank you, Maru, I shall let your brother know of your good deeds.” 

“What were you doing in there in the first place?” Maru asked. 

“Just exploring.” Abigail gave a shrug and had the decency to wince a little at the movement. 

Just exploring. Maru sat at her telescope; the familiar gaze of the heavens set in her trained eye. Just exploring, just looking. What could possibly be that exciting in those mines? What was Abigail looking for that wasn’t already found on this planet? When Maru looked through her viewfinder, she could count the rings on Saturn, and the see the big gaseous orb of Venus. The planets swirled around, each set at their own gravitational rotation around the sun. Every star was more fascinating than the last. Every comet, every meteor, every satellite. 

She sat for hours, just exploring.


	6. Azimuth Adjustment

The one thing that Maru could always count on was the amount of space in the Valley. Sometimes, she thought of her home in the suburbs, with her mother and father as belonging to a different version of her. A different life-one that was filled with culture and trips to the city. One that had the scent of jasmine and rose floating on a summer breeze as a memory of bells rang through her head. 

There were nights she thought about her mom, how she would cook but especially how she would dance. The carefully practiced hand movements, the elaborate footwork. And the swishing skirts, in a rainbow of colors. 

The Valley held memory stagnant. It was so tranquil sometimes that it was easy to get lost in one’s own head. And some days, Maru would stand by the mountain lake and stare into its sparkling waters and let herself recall childhood memories. Somewhere in the garage were her old roller skates. Somewhere in the garage, was a box of Adhira’s dance costumes. The pebbles under the water twinkled at her as if they were sharing a secret. 

Later in the day, Maru had located the boxes. She quickly dragged them to her room, though the spy work wasn’t necessary: Demetrius was out doing field work and Robin was tending the shop. In her room, alone, she took a deep breath and pulled the lid off of the first box. 

Her skates were a periwinkle blue, with glittery shooting stars embellished on them. A forgotten memory surfaced of her ninth birthday party. It was a block party, and her parents had invited the whole neighborhood. There were bounce houses and streamers. And so many of her neighbors had brought over food and cakes to celebrate. She was skating in her brand-new skates, with a gaggle of friends all around her age. The sound of the wheels against the pavement. The smell of freshly cut grass. 

Her dad was tending the barbeque, a glass beer bottle in his hand. And her mom, her mom was driving back from the city. She had ordered a special treat for Maru—a handmade rhubarb pie from one of the city’s best bakers. But the order went in too late, so Adhira had to drive that afternoon to pick it up. The city was only thirty minutes away. It was a weekend, so there wasn’t a rush hour. Maru was excited to try the pie with just her parents. And then afterwards, they would all go look through the new telescope she had been given (an early present from her mom and dad.) It was a perfect day. 

A drop landed on the dusty skates and Maru squeezed her eyes shut. When she reopened them, the room felt like it was spinning in slow motion. She distracted herself by opening the other box. 

Fabrics of reds, golds and purples awaited her. She pulled out a garment and examined it. It was still in good shape, and the skirt had little jeweled embellishments on its hem. The waist was about the same size she was. With only a small nudging in her mind, Maru found herself trying it on, despite all her aversion to skirts and feminine clothing. She pulled on the choli, surprised at how it fit across her chest. She was embarrassed at having to look up how to drape the pallu. And yet, with all her internal negging, when Maru looked at herself in the mirror, dressed in her mother’s sari, she felt at once, beautiful. 

“Hey you have that one book I lent you?” Sebastian was in the doorframe, interrupting her moment. He was looking down at his phone. 

“Yeah, give me a moment.” She responded, flustered at having been caught. 

He finally looked up. And his eyes widened. 

“Wow, Maru what are you wearing?” 

“It’s called a sari, my mom…” she trailed off, an unexpected sob rising in her throat. 

His face softened, and something akin to recognition settled in his eyes. 

“Can I draw you in it sometime? It’d be a really good character design for my Solarian Chronicles campaign.” His insistence was funny, and Maru felt the grief edge away. 

“Sure.” Was all she said. But a small kernel of hope began to blossom, and after Sebastian left, she twirled around, letting the petticoat flare out as she imagined herself a character in one of his stories.


	7. Remote Sensing

It was the perfect program, Maru thought idly, as she clicked through the webpages. Apart from the main cosmology courses, there were extra courses in heliophysics, cosmic structure and extragalactic astrophysics. What really drew her was the option to focus in radio astronomy. With that option, she could actually hear the universe, instead of just looking into it. She imagined what she might hear, sounds of distant planets, perhaps something or someone communicating back to her on the same frequency. 

The application process was a unique one. Apart from the usual grades and test scores, the personal statement was optional. You could write a statement, or you could build something to communicate your intended focus. Maru didn’t consider herself an essayist, but to build something…that she could do. 

“You’re ten thousand miles away from here, as usual.” 

Abigail was leaning on the counter at the clinic, her shit-eating grin in place as she looked at Maru. 

“What do you mean ‘as usual?” Maru asked. 

“You get that look in your eyes, I dunno.” Abigail shrugged, playing with the ends of her hair nonchalantly. 

Maru pretended not to be annoyed. 

“You’re here for your check up?” She asked her. 

“Will you be my nurse?” Abigail flirted. 

She would not take the bait. Abigail had once again disrupted church services this week and it took Maru an hour to calm Penny down and change the subject. Though she did wonder why her friend was so obsessed with critiquing the behavior of the purple haired troublemaker. It’s not like Abigail would change, she was a girl who ran with wolves in the dead of the night. Nothing would tame that wild spirit, and honestly, who would want to? 

“Harvey will meet with you now.” Was all she said, as she led Abigail to the small room. 

“So, are you going to apply?” Abigail asked her, just as Maru had almost exited. It was probably tactical, that she had to turn around to face her as she answered. 

“Yes.” 

Abigail met her stare, eyes bold and challenging. 

“Good.” 

~

It was nearing dusk when Maru reached the library. The light through the windows turned everything a rich sepia tone and nestled between the books and long tables was Penny, her hair taking on a russet sheen. Maru paused for a moment, just to watch her. Her slender fingers turned a page in the latest classic novel she was reading. She had let go of her posture, falling into the story that was on the paper in front of her. A few strands of hair had crept out of the clip holding them back, draping against her cheek in a way that made Maru internally sigh. She looked like she was in a classic movie, so elegant even when as unbothered and casual as she was now. 

Just then, she must have finished a chapter, because she looked up and saw Maru and smiled. She smiled back, feeling a bit weird and awkward as she made her way over to the table. 

“So, I found my dream program.” She said, sitting at the table, sliding a stack of printed papers over to Penny. 

“Oh, you were looking?” 

“Well, I think it’d be hard to learn astrophysics over the internet Pen.” 

“I guess so.” She rifled through the pages, but her eyes barely skimmed the words. 

Maru watched her, with a strange anticipation. Robin and Demetrius would grant her this and encourage her desire to study. She didn’t need permission from Penny, but for some reason, the acceptance of her best friend was something she yearned for. So, she searched Penny’s face for any disappointment, or rejection. 

“It’s awfully far away.” Penny murmured. 

“I promise I’ll write to you every day. And visit on every holiday.” She wasn't exaggerating. She would do it. 

“Well, it’s your dream.” 

Maru searched her face again. But Penny’s cool mask had slid over, and whatever she was thinking was hidden by a polite, encouraging smile. 

~

Demetrius was ecstatic, as Maru figured he’d be. Her dad excitedly ruffled through the pamphlet, pausing to read out loud phrases like “Engage in technology development!” and “Provide an intellectual home for students!” Robin laughed alongside him every time he said something out loud. Maru could feel her eyes rolling and a quick glance at Sebastian told her that he was trying really hard not to. 

“This is fantastic Maru!” Demetrius exclaimed, “This would be so incredible for you!” 

“Thanks Dad, I just hope I get in.” 

“Oh you will. I’m certain of it.” 

His praise continued for the rest of dinner. Afterwards, he went off to see if any of his old “science buddies” could send good letters of recommendation for Maru. Robin was beaming at her. 

“Your mom would be proud of you.” She said. 

“Thanks.”

Maru fidgeted with her hands under the table. She had no idea what her mom would’ve thought. A distant name floated through her mind. “Sparks.” But it was siphoned away as Robin began asking Sebastian about his coursework. 

To his credit, he helped Maru clean up after dinner. And then offered to watch a movie with her. She accepted, a little surprised by how engaging he was feeling. They settled on the couch awkwardly, with a bowl of popcorn that Robin plopped in front of them. The beginning scenes of the movie started to creep by. 

“You’re going to make both of them proud.” Sebastian said suddenly. 

“I just want to see what's out there.” She freely admitted. 

He looked at her, thoughtful and a little sad. 

“I know.” He said, then sarcastically, “But you’re the golden child, so anything you do will fall back on them.” 

She dreamt that night of being trapped in a trash compactor. There was a deep space monster slithering around under her feet. She needed to escape, she needed to go save Penny. But the walls started closing in and she felt a shortness of breath. She was wearing an earpiece, and someone was shouting into it. “Sparks, can you read me? Come in, Sparks?” It was in Penny’s voice, then her dad’s, then Robin’s, then Sebastian’s, then Abigail’s, then finally: Adhira’s.


	8. Apparent Magnitude

Another weekend night was rolling around, but this time, when Maru went to go borrow a book, Sebastian and his friends were gone. He left her a note with the latest book though, which she thought was nice. Whatever ice was once there, had started to thaw. She suspected it was Sam. It’s hard to be around that easygoing sunshine person and not catch it. 

She was settling into her half of the couch, tucking her feet under a blanket when Penny stormed in. Her friend was huffing, and her face was bright red. Maru had never seen her that upset. 

“What happened?” she asked. 

“Your brothers’ girlfriend!” Penny spat. 

“Um…” 

“She just…ugh she called me a prude and I’m so frustrated.” She paced in a little circle, her hands wringing her skirt. 

“You know she’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” Maru tried to de-escalate. 

“I know!” And Penny threw her hands up in the air. “But I can’t help but be annoyed. Everyone in our class has had their first kiss already. Everyone.” 

“I haven’t.” Maru shrugged. 

“I know. And neither have I. And I thought, I just thought by now I would get it.” She let out a long sigh, deflated and sat on the couch turning her watery eyes on Maru. 

“Don’t you ever think about it? What it would be like to be kissed?” She asked. 

“Not really.” Maru replied, “I…. never think about it, actually.” 

“Oh Maru.” Penny sighed. 

They sat in a contemplative silence for a while, each turning thoughts over. To be kissed, Maru thought, would require attraction to a boy. And that, she simply did not have. Sometimes she felt like she was broken. And she hoped that maybe in the future, when she was an accomplished astrophysicist, that attraction would finally come. One day in the future…

The silence stretched on, and Maru was trying to decide between picking up her book or breaking it. But Penny broke it first. 

“What if we practiced?” She asked, hurriedly. 

“On what? Some vegetables?” Maru was flabbergasted. 

“No, I mean,” Suddenly she looked really shy, but she swallowed and looked at Maru anyways. “What if we practiced, on each other?” 

“Um, well, I guess if it’s for…research.” 

“Of course.” Penny was nodding. 

A beat. As they awkwardly looked any place but each other. Then Maru blew out a puff of air. 

“Alright then, for research.” And she summoned whatever boldness she thought Abigail (of all people) might have and looked squarely up at Penny. 

“For research.” Penny echoed, bringing her eyes up to meet Maru’s. 

They moved closer on the couch, and leaned in. Penny closed her eyes. And Maru pressed her lips against her best friend’s. 

It was pleasant, kissing. Penny had soft lips, and the pressure from both of them elicited a spark in Maru that popped like shooting stars across her mind’s eye. They moved even closer, Penny bringing her hand up to caress Maru’s face. And their lips moved of their own accord, lightly pushing up against each other as if they were feeling the outline of their mouths. 

Slowly, the kiss intensified. Maru wasn’t sure if it was her or Penny that making that happen. What she did register was that her own mouth had now pried open, her tongue making tentative approaches with Penny’s. Her hands had travelled to hold her closer, and Penny had looped her own arms around her neck. Maru felt their chests press up against each other and a _longing_ began. They began to kiss more urgently now. Maru bit Penny’s bottom lip and felt _excitement_ as she moaned into her mouth. 

But then Penny quickly moved away, her face red and her hand pressed up to cover her mouth. She looked anywhere but at Maru. 

“Pen…” Maru started, unsure of how to proceed. 

“I have to go.” Was all that her friend said, before promptly leaving her house, the front door shutting behind her. 

Maru sat still for a long time after that. She tried to open her book to read and found her eyes couldn’t focus on the pages. She reread the same sentence over before closing the book and just letting herself un-focus from the room. Was she a bad kisser? Was that what kissing was supposed to be like? Was kissing boys the same? Somehow, she didn’t think so, boys didn’t look like they had soft lips, or at least the ones she knew. Was something wrong with her? 

She answered Emily’s call with the same response she gave every weekend. She briefly wondered if Pam would make it home, if Penny had snapped out whatever was troubling her to stop by the Saloon. She barely registered Sebastian coming home. In her bedroom alone, Maru traced the outline of the constellations she painted on her walls. 

~

Penny was at their usual bench the next day, looking unbothered as Maru tentatively sat next to her. 

“So, Pam is talking about getting work again, and I have no idea who’s going to take her at this rate.” She babbled. 

Maru watched her carefully. There was nothing out of place, and Penny was keeping her face neutral. But there were slight bags under her eyes, as if she had cried herself to sleep. 

“Penny are you okay?” Maru asked. 

She looked up at her, feigning shock. 

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Last night…” Maru trailed off, trying to say it without saying it. 

“Last night was a mistake.” Penny said quickly. 

“Ok, so it wasn’t ‘good research’ for you?” She had never played dumb before, but Maru had a feeling that she didn’t want to know what Penny would say to the instincts that were screaming at her. 

“I mean, of course it was… ‘good research.” Penny looked away again, “It just can’t happen again. That’s all.” 

“Right.” 

And that was the end of that conversation. 

~

That night Maru fiddled with her telescope. As she adjusted the viewfinder to look upon a cluster of stars, she thought about Penny’s words earlier. Can’t happen again. She was embarrassed, of Maru, of the incident. Maru could handle that. As long as they could remain friends, she figured. What was one little kiss anyways? 

She turned the knob to get a clearer image of the sky. It was so beautiful, she thought, the vastness of space. This cluster of stars was where researchers were currently looking for signs of other intelligent life. They were sending rockets, probes and radio waves out towards it. Hundreds of billions of lightyears away, and someone might get their message. What would they think? Of this planet and its inhabitants, their follies and fumbles? 

What would they think of two teenage girls, kissing each other “for research” in front of a cozy fire? Maru decided that whoever “they” were, two girls kissing was probably the least of their concerns. And with that strange idea, she began to feel something akin to resentment. What should she have to be ashamed of, when there was so much out there? 

That night, she dreamt of space travel at the speed of light. She was shooting somewhere, new places with new ideas. A new language even, spoken in prime numbers and linguistic patterns. She dreamt of a conversation, between her and her mother, in a moment where time had bended, and she could stand face to face with her in a swirling galaxy surrounded by stars.


	9. Orbital Hybrids

“Ok, be careful with this one.” Robin was handing her a small electronic hand saw. “This is how you turn it on, see? And then here is how you use it.” 

A whirring noise began as Robin demonstrated how to cut through scrap metal. Maru was already holding a small box of tools, all gifted to her by her stepmom. In the box were several screwdrivers, a hammer, a multi-use tool, wrenches in different sizes, a hand saw, a drill, and a few utility knives. When Robin heard Maru was interested in building something, she took it as an opportunity to bond with her stepdaughter. So, they had spent every day after class that week gathering materials. 

Now Maru was facing a pile of scrap metal, plastic, wood and wires in her basement room. It was a small space, fitted with only a long plastic table to work on, and an overhead light. Robin originally had it connected to Sebastian’s basement room, but upon Demetrius and Maru’s arrival, she built a wall in between. She had only shown Maru the secret trapdoor when she entered high school. “A place for you to work, since Sebby has the garage to work on his motorcycle.” She had said. 

So, on days when Sebastian was clanging away in the garage, Maru had started her own inventing process in the secret basement. She started small at first, building prototype robots that came in kits. Each part has specifically fit into one another. Then she started building her own computer, ordering specialized parts off the internet. She even took apart Sebastian’s computer and fixed it up, so it’d work faster for him. 

Those long afternoons were the only extracurricular she needed. It was a meditative process to her, working the gears in her head as she pieced together plastics and metals. Working with electrical equipment was something she was still figuring out, unsure of how to carefully control a charge. She had accidentally shocked her dad once, when Demetrius brought her a plate of fruit to eat while she was working. 

Her imagination pressed her to create, and after a particularly inspiring geology class Maru found herself ordering more things off the internet. Robin made a fuss at first, but when Maru promised her that she’d earn it all back, she relented. When that order came, Robin was surprised at the amount of glass and the box of what Maru told her was pure Carbon. 

It was halfway into through dinner when the family heard an excited “Eureka!” from Maru’s bedroom. She burst into the dining room minutes later and plopped a gemstone next to Robin’s plate. 

“Is this...?” Robin asked. 

“A diamond! Yes.” Maru was beaming, “Synthetically grown of course. But a diamond in the sense that it is carbon pressurized. I made an at home lab replica. I’m calling it the Crystalarium.” She was speaking a mile a minute. 

Robin’s shop now held blueprints for construction projects and tiny, synthetic diamond jewelry, made by Maru. 

She was exceptionally proud of this invention, and would often say aloud to herself, “So let me get this straight. I’ve created a chamber that places enough pressure on pure Carbon that it melts and begins to form a seed from which the crystal will grow around.” 

It was necromancy. How would any scientists from the past look at her invention and see anything but that type of sorcery? You needed a basic understanding of physics, but Maru often reminded herself that scientists of the past had only a rudimentary notion of the entire light spectrum. They did not know that light came in waves. How could anyone expect to understand the science of a civilization thousands of years into the future? The thought filled her giddiness. 

~

She gifted Penny a pair of her special diamond earrings for her birthday. Her friend blushed and immediately tried them on. 

“Maru they’re beautiful!” 

“Thanks Pen. They’re, not exactly real from the earth diamonds.” Maru hadn’t yet figured out how to take compliments from people, even those closest to her. 

“They’re still gorgeous.” 

And Maru thought so too. The way that the gemstones were cut allowed for little anomalies to stand out. Every diamond she made was different in some way, with little splashes of color when they hit the light a certain way. She liked the way they glinted when people of Pelican Town began to buy them and wear them. As if the villagers found something in Maru herself that was valuable and priceless.


	10. Tempus Fugit

It had been a month, Penny’s birthday had come and gone, and she was still acting strange around Maru. She was acting strange around Maru’s whole family in fact, nervous around Robin and Demetrius and uncharacteristically hostile whenever Sebastian showed his face. And on those weekend nights, she found excuses to show up later and leave earlier. She wore the synthetic diamond earrings on planned hang outs, but when Maru would run into her in town, she noticed they were absent. It happened enough times for her to realize that Penny was intentionally taking them out when she wasn’t around Maru. 

It was yet another Sunday, and the two were walking back from church. Maru noticed Penny looking around, seemingly restless for once. 

“Want to go skip stones at the river mouth?” she asked, feeling a bit stupid. Penny was an enigma that Maru wanted to figure out. Something was bothering her, and it was frustrating that she couldn’t take it apart and fix it. This needed to be discussed, openly. 

Penny agreed and a few minutes later, they found themselves at the river mouth, near the library. Maru bent to pick up a smooth stone from the bank and positioned herself on the edge of the river. She decided to send it with the current, rushing towards the open ocean. A flick of her wrist and the stone was bouncing through the water. 

“I’ve been acting weird, haven’t I?” Penny said. 

“Yeah. What’s going on? You can tell me.” Maru insisted. 

“I often think that I can.” Penny let a sheepish smile spread across her face. But then she suddenly turned grim. “You’re so oblivious sometimes Maru. You think that the world is just a skipping stone, that there’s more.” 

“Isn’t there?” The comment stung. 

“Yes! No. I don’t know!” She let out a frustrated sigh. “For you maybe. You have the good grades, the nice family, and the money. You can get out of here.” 

“Pen, you can too. Let me help you, I bet there are tons of programs for literature that would take you on a full ride.” 

“But then who would take care of Pam?” Penny shot back. It was funny, Maru never heard Penny call her mom “Mom.” It was always “Pam” with a sour aftertaste. 

“We could figure something out.” 

“We. It’s always ‘we’ with you.” She cried, “You really think we’re going to be together forever. Like you’re not just going to run halfway across the world to do exactly what you’ve been doing here!” 

Maru actually stumbled back a little. They had never had an argument; she didn’t exactly understand what Penny was so upset about. But she did get the idea that it was her fault. It was always her fault. 

“I…just want to get a good education.” She said. 

“No, you want to leave. You always have!” Her face was twisted into something so spiteful. 

She didn’t know what to say. Penny had tears in her eyes, and her hands were curled into fists. She looked so alone, so small in that moment. Maru took a tentative step towards her oldest friend. 

“Penny, is this about that one kiss?” She was guessing. 

“Of course, you’d think it was about that.” 

Judging by that reaction, Maru estimated that her guess was correct. 

“You see your brother engaged in it. Your family has no problem with it. Even your boss is okay with it. What about me? How come you’ve never asked me if it was ok?” 

Somehow, Maru didn’t think Penny was talking about Sebastian or anyone else. Her friend was wrapped up in her own head, spouting off angry responses. They still hurt like barbs, as if Maru was still the problem. Why had she suggested kissing “for research”? Was something wrong with her? Penny seemed to think so. Something began to stir in her though when Penny began to angrily talk about Sebastian. 

“Stop it.” She spoke. Quietly as first, so Penny was still droning on about how Sebastian and Sam were likely going to Hell. 

“Stop it!” Louder now and she had Penny’s attention. She was glaring at her friend, feeling her nostrils flare. And Penny was glaring back. 

They stood like that for an agonizing minute. Even the birds had gone silent around them, so all Maru could hear was the rushing river mouth turning stones over under water. Penny had pursed her lips, clearly considering something. She let out a breath and softened her eyes. 

“Don’t come to church with me anymore Maru.” She said softly.

And before Maru could think up an argument, Penny had turned on her heel and walked away. 

~

She skipped rocks until sunset. Each pebble was thrown more carelessly than the last. Finally, she was just using her whole arm to fling pebbles into the water. Her breath was coming in short and fast, adrenaline from the anger pulsing through her. 

At nightfall, she stopped, exhausted. Her arm dropped, muscles straining a little so that she knew she’d be sore in the morning. The frogs had started their chorus and the river mouth continued to rage on. 

Maru took the well-worn path back to the mountains. Each step felt heavy, knowing that as soon as she reached her door, she’d have to put on a smile. Demetrius had always told her not to burn bridges. But what came first? Family loyalty? Or a friend? And what of herself? What could she be true to? 

She stopped just outside of her house and looked upwards. Robin’s house had the best location in Pelican Town for gazing up at the night sky. The fog from the beach never reached this far, and the Valley protected the town from the smog and light pollution of the city. The sky was dark tonight, the moon cast in shadow. 

Sirius was bright tonight. Eight point six light years away. Eight point six years ago, Sirius had shone as if brand new. Maru was just moving to Pelican Town, meeting Robin and Sebastian and getting used to the idea that her mom was just gone. Forever. She was traveling at her own light speed, hurtling through space, too fast for Maru to follow. 

But what if she could? What if she could lock herself into a rocket and blast off into the ever-expanding universe? She stood out there just staring up, thinking about how she would find a world populated just like the earth she was on. But this far off world was better. It accepted Sebastian and Sam. It accepted her, with her naturally curly hair and dark skin. And, it had her mom. 

She only walked inside when her hopelessness turned into a perfectly honed drive. She would build something great, get accepted into that school, and leave Pelican Town in search of life on other planets. It was her only hope of becoming something more than herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Part 1.
> 
> A/N: Let me make it clear: internalized homophobia is the actual worst. I think working through it, while so much else is happening (I.e. your parent/guardian is also an alcoholic) is difficult. This is not meant to be Penny bashing, I just think she's an extremely complex character. But this story is not about her, so we will not be visiting that perspective at this time.


	11. Part 2: The Excavation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2: The Excavation 
> 
> “You want to talk to God? Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do.” -Indiana Jones

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. The scent of stale cigarettes was permanently etched into the walls. For a second, as she descended into this underworld, all she could see were the neon lights of the machines and shadow figures. Then, when her eyes were focused, a card table came out of the haze and a figure seated there discreetly tipped his hat. 

She made her way to the table, grabbing a drink offered off a tray and sat herself down across from the figure. They made no acknowledgment of each other at first. So, she took a swig from the golden liquid in the glass and swallowed roughly as it burned down her throat. Then, the figure across from her started to deal her in.

Her hand was lousy. It always was. That’s how this game was played. Not by fairness or rules, but by looking between the cards and sizing up your opponent. She had always been good at sizing up people, looking straight through them. That’s probably why she had been at this job for a while now. She placed a card on the table and pushed in her set of plastic casino chips. 

The other players took their turns until it was finally at the head of the table. The man across from her smiled slowly but revealed nothing. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, even though the room they sat in was dark as night. His hat and coat were heavy leather, despite the heat of the Calico Desert outside. He shuffled the deck and looked straight up at her. 

“Welcome back, Abigail.” His smooth voice purred. “What have you got for me today?” 

~

The desert heat was sweltering, and the sands sifted, creating mirages of reflective surfaces where there were none. The perimeter held planted palm trees and even further on the horizon were the scalloped mesas of the high desert. It was an endless ocean of sand, where only the occasional traveler would pass through. 

Abigail’s trailer was located next to her latest excavation site. It was a rusty old thing, settled into the sand, and from far away it almost disappeared into the desert. She had to mark it with large rocks, in order to find her way from where she was digging. 

It was all glamorous at first. She had obtained a degree in archaeology and had interned across the world with the best scientists, learning specialized techniques and methods. She had held ancient gold artifacts in the palm of her hands. She had traveled to secret cities, unearthed primordial civilizations and reimagined what the past looked like thousands of years ago. 

But then she graduated and was left afloat to fend for herself and find a job in a field that felt like a sinkhole. Researchers were underfunded, and society had no use or need for old stories. Museums were filled, and besides the fact, they were under pressure to return objects to their countries of origin. Repatriation was the new craze, and while Abigail had a shot of doing research for an institution to help with that, she had no desire to sit inside an office looking at 3D models. 

There was something restless about her, that made sitting still for too long agonizing. Sitting inside was even worse, with the walls closing in and nothing interesting to look at it. If she was inside of any building, she was in a temple or a ruin, looking around the next corner expecting a booby trap. 

Abigail had grown up reading fantasy books and fairytales. She had spent her days exploring overgrown fields, hidden forests and decrepit mines. There was no end to the adventures. And that was something she held on too, even now as a young adult in her late twenties. 

That’s precisely why she found herself in the Calico desert. A wasteland, with only one general store, and a hidden casino that was strictly off limits, unless you knew the owner. And Abigail, either unfortunately or fortunately, knew Mr. Qi. 

He had need of an adventurer and excavator. There was a cavern, a system of caves in the high desert that seemed to endlessly go on. But there were rare and precious gems, old artifacts and other treasures in there. He approached Abigail by way of note, when she was staying at her parent’s house after graduation. It was intriguing enough for her to leave the quiet town once again and move into the broken-down trailer. 

The “dig site” was a guise. Remains of an ancient beast- a dinosaur- were seen from above. If Abigail wanted to, and sometimes she did out of boredom, she could brush away the dust and look closely at the fossils. She imagined it was the bones of a dragon instead, crashing into earth. The excavation was really just a good way for her to explain what she was doing in the field. Paleontology was a close step after archaeology, after all. 

The Skull Cavern was her real mission. She would wake up, put her long purple hair in a braid, and grab the rusty sword from under her bed. She’d strap her backpack on, filled with small miner’s treats and collection bags for the gemstones. And then she’d head off, on foot, to the mesa. 

Mr. Qi had given her the key. Of course, she had to beat a video game in front of him in order to earn it. It was a stone key, with a skull emblazoned on it. Sometimes she shuddered at the thought of what made it. Most of the time, she craved the excitement it brought when she pulled it out to insert it into the equally menacing lock. The door to the cavern would open, and she would plunge into darkness. 

Her trailer had a broken air conditioning unit, and an old fan. She would return from these ventures, turn on the fan, kick her heavy work boots off and pull a bottle from the fridge. She would take a swig, or two. Then she’d move into her tiny bathroom and pull the medical supplies from the shelf. She’d sit on the toilet seat, tending to her wounds. 

When she had bandaged herself up enough, she would examine her loot. She polished off the gems, rinsed dirt off the artifacts and carefully placed them all back in her bag. Then she’d walk outside, to her old pick-up truck and drive to one of the only habitable spaces in the desert. The bouncers were always suspicious of her, but they let her through. Every time. She wondered if there would be a time when they turned her away. 

Of course, that time would never happen. She’d be long dead before she approached the casino if she ever found herself in a position where to be turned away. That’s how shady Mr. Qi was. She never knew to whom he sold the gems and artifacts to. There was never news about them. Just a bag of gold that ended up on her trailer steps the day after she'd give something to him. 

He was sitting there now, looking at his deck of cards now, pale blue hands shuffling them. It shouldn’t have felt as ominous, but it did. Abigail shifted in her seat, hyper aware of the other players at the table all watching her. She pulled a cloth wrapped object out of her backpack and set it on the table, in the middle of the chips. 

They finished the round of cards. Mr. Qi won, as usual. Abigail watched as he pulled the lot towards his side of the table. He carefully unwrapped the parcel, to reveal a smooth shining stone like object that shimmered different colors, as if it were alive underneath. 

“A prismatic shard.” She told him. 

He held it up to the light, the colors of the casino reflecting off of it. 

“You know Abigail,” he said, “I knew you’d end up here someday. I think you’re gonna be a star.” 

She only nodded at him, finished her drink, shouldered her bag and let his bodyguards escort her out of the casino. 

~

Later, under the light of the moon, she unwrapped another cloth hidden buried under the sand near her trailer. It was a strange rock, with swirling blue patterns around it. She wondered what it was, but felt it important to hold onto, at least until she could crack it open and figure out what might be contained inside. Mr. Qi didn’t have to know, she told herself, as she covered it back up and reburied it in the sand.


	12. Harris Matrix

The letter posted to her trailer screen door was delivered sometime when she was in the Skull Cavern. Abigail left it there, moving quickly to her medicine cabinet. She had had rotten luck in the caves today, running into bats and serpents that swarmed. She only had a few moments of relief to run back to the entrance, slicing her way through the monsters. But still, her face and body were cut up and her muscles screaming. 

~

She had learned how to patch herself up years ago. In her gap year before she started an archaeology degree in fact, when she was still in Pelican Town after graduating from high school. Those days were spent with Sam and Sebastian, smoking and playing fantasy board games. Back when they all had no drive to do anything other than cause a scene and release the pressures of being in high school in a small rural town. Well, Sebastian always had secret ambitions. And she supposed herself and Sam ended up following their passions anyways. 

It was in that year that she started exploring deeper into the old mines by herself. She went in unarmed at first, only holding a pickaxe. After running scared from a swarm of slimes, she encountered an older man, with an eyepatch. He had grumbled about her being there defenseless. The next time she went, he was waiting for her with an old sword. 

It was a steep learning curve from practicing with wooden sticks to actually fighting monsters. There were nights where Abigail would wake up, a scream dead in her throat, after a dream of being surrounded by the creatures in the mines. It was a change that was barely noticeable by her closest friends. She became more withdrawn, thinking about strategies to get past the denizens of that netherworld. 

Her mother wrote it off as daydreaming. 

But when she had taken a few too many hits, and barely made it out of the mines breathing, she decided it was time to figure out how to take care of herself. Her shallow, abrasive mask was the only thing keeping her secret from the rest of the town. And she wasn’t ready to share that adventure with them just yet. So, she limped to Harvey’s clinic, and let her sarcastic and uncanny shield fall over her expression. 

She didn’t think Maru would buy it. Sebastian’s sister was annoyingly observant. But Maru had sent her to Harvey, and even gave her a take home kit to change out bandages. Thinking back on those memories now, Abigail wondered if Maru had known all along, and was hinting to her. 

But that would be an impossible scenario, a dream really, for Maru to pay that level of attention to Abigail. She was too busy, with her telescope and hanging on Penny’s every word, to think about the purple haired friend of her older brother. 

Abigail sometimes wondered about what became of her. She left town, after making an incredible invention that had every single school vying for her. A full ride scholarship, internship opportunities and fame awaited Maru. Abigail almost resented her for it, especially when her own parents would look at her and ask, “What are you going to do with your life?” 

The key word was almost. Abigail always thought Maru was better off without Pelican Town. She needed to leave, to find herself in a place that wouldn’t stifle her creativity and brilliance. A place where she could explore, not just the universe, but her own self as well. Abigail wasn’t about to encourage her to stay and coming in every week needing new stitches might bring about Maru’s natural curiosity. Or at least whispers to Sebastian. 

Abigail found a wilderness survival course, learned how to patch herself up and continued to explore the mines in secret. It was her space, her place for inspiration, her solace in the moving tides of the planet. Her way to escape into the mysteries of the Valley and find a drive to do something more than play with her Oujia board. 

~

It was the next morning, when a hurried knock awoke Abigail, that she remembered the unopened letter. Her arms and back ached as she groaned and crawled out of bed. She made her way to the door and flung it open, her eyes squinting in the assailing brightness of a new day. 

“What?” she asked, not politely. 

“Abigail?” 

Standing on her doorstep was the last person she expected to see in the Calico Desert.


	13. in situ

Maru was wearing loose clothing, practical in the desert. Maybe less practical in the heat, but more alluring, was her hair. Evidently, she had stopped using chemical relaxers, and her curls sprang around her head, slightly tossed from the warm winds of the desert. She was looking at Abigail with a mixture of surprise and panic. As if she wasn’t supposed to be the one who answered the door to the deteriorating trailer in the middle of a barren wasteland. 

“Hey Maru,” Abigail gave her a wry smile, “Want a drink?” 

“It’s nine in the morning!” 

“Oh, is it?” She gestured to let her into the small space, moving to her sink to appear like she was nonchalantly grabbing a cup for coffee. 

“I see you haven’t changed.” 

“I see you haven’t either. Still making assumptions about my behavior?” There was the old mask, sliding into place, indifferent and speculative at once. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“I’m offering you a drink. A respectable, morning time drink.” She opened her fridge to emphasize her point. “So, what’ll it be Space Girl, coffee, tea, orange juice or vodka?” 

Maru gave her a long look, and after a while finally answered. 

“Tea.” 

“You mind Lipton?” 

“That’s fine.” 

“Alrighty then.” Abigail stuck two mugs with water in her microwave and pulled a cardboard box from one of the cabinets. When the timer beeped, she placed the tea bags in each of the cups and handed one to Maru. 

They sat for a moment, sipping the lukewarm tea. Abigail took the chance to look over at Maru again. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, either she had contacts or gotten Lasik. Her long fingers were unadorned, curled around Abigail’s mug that read “I’m small and sensitive, but also fight me.” It had a drawing of a cat with a knife. It was an old present from Sam. 

She decided to break the silence, as Maru appeared to be lost in her thoughts again. 

“So… what brings you to my humble neck of the woods?” She drawled. 

“Well, I’m technically looking for the Head Archaeologist here.” Maru answered. She never sought to correct Abigail, and always just responded to her as if she had asked a normal question or made a normal sounding statement. Sometimes it was nice, on days when Abigail felt stupid for even speaking to her. Most of the time, it drove her crazy. 

“And that’s me?” She asked her. 

“That’s what the lady at the Oasis said.” 

So Maru had met Sandy. Abigail wondered how that went. 

“Hmm, I guess I am the only one digging up old bones for miles around here.” 

“It’s cool.” Maru admitted suddenly, “You’re doing something you love.” 

Abigail took her third take of the young woman sitting in her tiny trailer kitchen. She seemed desperate, and melancholy. Not like the quiet and contemplative girl she knew in high school, all those years ago. Maru’s habit of fidgeting with her hands didn’t seem to die; she was twisting the string of the tea bag around her fingers, staring into the cup. 

“I guess I am.” Abigail replied simply. 

More awkward silence enveloped them, and Maru clearly sought words to say aloud. Abigail was happy to sit in the uncomfortableness. She thrived in uncomfortable situations, her wit determining whether or not she could manipulate it into something easier or make it worse. Sebastian always said that was the most charming part about her. 

“I need your permission to build something.” 

“I don’t own this land.” 

“But you do have a permit for two excavation sites.” 

“You must be mistaken; I’m only digging at one.” 

“Not what the lady told me! And if you’re only digging at one, then perhaps you’ll let me use the other?” 

The Other. Was Maru referring to the land around the Skull Cavern? She didn’t think Mr. Qi had put that in her name. 

“Look, it’s all in the letter my organization sent to you.” 

“Hmmm.” Abigail stood up abruptly and went to her screen door. She ripped the flimsy tape off and opened the envelope. Sure as day, the fine print stood out to her. 

“The International Space Station would like to rent this parcel of land for the season, in order to conduct brand new research on our expanding universe. Details for this new project can be found here….” A list of websites, and legal documents followed. 

They wanted to build a damn telescope on the mesa. Right where Abigail would go every day to look for treasures and adventure. She crumpled up the letter, enjoying as Maru’s face fell into disbelief. 

Abigail let a familiar smirk slide across her face as she looked down at the woman seated before her and replied. 

“In that case, absolutely not.”


	14. Negative Geoglyphs

Whenever she was feeling anxious, she’d go explore somewhere. Somehow, being on her feet and moving helped her expel the energy. She could walk off whatever she was feeling, and it’d usually calm her down enough to sit and process. 

Then, she would turn it over in her head as she read tarot cards at her kitchen table. The cards held a mystic gaze on her but interpreting them as behavioral patterns helped sort out the mess. It was a technique that her old therapist taught her, in grad school, and one that she wished she had known about way earlier. 

Tonight, Abigail paced under the full desert moon. The light reflected off her loose white button down, unbuttoned and flapping behind her in the breeze. Her hair was out of its braid, and purple strands were freely tangling around themselves. 

The desert was lively; it always was at night. She could hear mice scurrying about, birds calling, even the hoot of an owl. In the distance she heard the sound of a coyote howling at the moon. It was magic, and she could sense it. The earth was filled with such incredible things, and the people of yesterday knew it. The people who created that Skull Cavern, who buried their treasures there and their secrets. 

Abigail had to find out. It was more than a curiosity. It was a desire to learn from the past, to be transported to a different time. She wanted to learn what they knew, and she wanted to honor that memory. Abigail had always been obsessed with the ancient. It was safely ensconced in her mind as a more interesting, more sacred time. Past civilizations had ritual and honor. There wasn’t capitalistic greed, and destruction of entire ecosystems. There were multiple gods and goddesses, and there were ways to communicate with them that didn’t involve church donations and corruption. And there were multiple ways to look at relationships. Various genders and sexualities, each one of them special in ancient society. 

A sound rustled behind her and she turned from her thoughts. A black tailed jackrabbit sat in the moonlight, its eyes unwaveringly meeting her gaze. Then it turned, after deciding she was not a threat, and hopped blissfully away. Abigail took it as a sign to return to her trailer and pull a card from her deck. 

She let herself puff out an amused laugh, as the card she pulled that night was Death. 

~

The small alcove surrounded by old crates seemed the safest place to hide. The monsters had slithered away, in search of other intruders. Abigail leaned up against a wall and forced her breathing to calm. 

She had taken a chance this time. A hole in the center of one of the floors, leading somewhere, anywhere deeper into the caves. Maybe the tarot reading the night before rattled her more than she thought. Because Abigail had clutched her backpack and sword closer to her as she jumped feet first into the hole. 

It was like a slide, a horrible tube slide from a water park except it was made of earth and sand, that deposited her into a chamber that looked empty. She dusted herself off and looked around warily. Nothing just yet, so she stood slowly and took a step. 

And as soon as that happened, a rumbling sound began. Abigail stopped, and pulled her sword out in front of her, head swiveling to look for an approaching attack. Would it be bats or snakes this time? Or maybe slimes? But then she heard a low moaning, and a cracking noise. When she identified where it was coming from, her heart stopped. An actual mummy was walking towards her, and its eyes were glowing red. 

She ran. And heard more groaning and crackling. A quick glance back told her that there were more, all moving towards her with surprising speed. Picking up the pace, she managed to skirt around the corner, and hide behind the crates. 

The heavy footsteps of the mummies sounded so close. Abigail was gripping the hilt of her sword so hard that she felt it impression into her palm. The footsteps stopped. She prayed to ancient and contemporary gods alike, that she wouldn’t die on this day. The footsteps started again, ebbing away. And Abigail felt a thrill vibrate through her. 

No matter how many close calls she had in the mines back at home, with the shadow monsters and the ghosts, she had never gotten close to an actual mummy. She grinned, as she quietly got back to her feet, and began to search through the crates. 

~

The neon lights were brighter than usual tonight. Mr. Qi sat at the table, cards shuffling. Abigail deposited the latest parcel into the center of the table. It was pure iridium ore, enough to make a solid bar that was worth thousands of gold coins. Qi wrapped it up, no emotion showing on his face, and handed it to one of his goons. Then he sat back and regarded Abigail, who was patiently waiting for his usual dismissal. 

“The rattlesnakes are saying some things.” He said. 

Abigail wondered if he knew about her secret treasure stash. Her heart began to beat faster, as she tried to mask her facial expressions. She tried not to look anywhere else at the table, lest any of her movements appear to be suspicious. Qi was still facing her, expression completely still behind the sunglasses and hat. 

“They mad about the bobcats eating at them?” Abigail tried to joke. 

Qi let a slow smile crawl across his face. It unnerved her. She had a bad feeling she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. 

“They told me,” Qi exhaled as he spoke, “That someone wants to look for little green men in the sky.” 

Abigail blinked, once, in recognition. It wasn’t that surprising that Maru’s arrival would be noticed in town. Calico Desert was a sprawling wilderness, and the “town” was just a few buildings of a grocery/utility store, Sandy’s shop (and secret Casino) and a cottage that was rentable. The population no doubt had all noticed that a new person had come to the desert. 

“Don’t worry Qi,” Abigail said, “I already told her that site was off limits to construction.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t have spoken so fast.” 

She looked at him, confusion probably starting to etch onto her face. 

“Here’s the new permit, Kid.” Qi let one of his goons slide an envelope across the table. 

Abigail opened it, reading through the terms. _“This site is hereby declared a joint research site to be shared in pursuit of knowledge from the distant past and the near future. The International Space Station and the Calico Desert Archaeological Center will utilize the mesa to conduct any research they deem necessary. Funding and associates will be available for both parties to use.”_

She felt a rage begin to boil within her. The mesa would be crawling with people now, building a telescope and poking around, so close to the Skull Cavern. How would she do her work? How would she keep the secrets of the caves safe? How did Qi expect her to do her job? 

It seemed he anticipated this reaction, because he leaned forward, crossed arms casting a long shadow over the table. 

“You’ll have to be careful now.” He said, “Don’t tell anyone about that place. I want to keep it…exclusive. You’d keep a secret for your friend Mr. Qi, wouldn’t you?” 

The neon lights flashed pink and purple across his glasses. Abigail swallowed and nodded. That seemed to satisfy him. 

“Stop by whenever you want to relax.” 

And Abigail was dismissed.


	15. Conchoidal Fractures

“Will you at least say something to me?” 

Maru was exasperated, her hands on her hips and her hair billowing about her, as she stared down at the dig site. She was wearing high waisted, wide legged pants, and a peach short sleeve button up shirt tucked in, exuding a polished femininity in this unexpected place. It made Abigail, who was wearing dirty jeans and a men’s button up shirt carelessly thrown over a black band tee, feel underdressed and patronized. Years of job applications reviewed and denied to her came to surface. She pushed it down and did what she did best-- antagonized the hell out of whoever made her feel that way. 

She brushed a bit of dirt off of one of the protruding rib fossils of the dinosaur and took a small bottle of solution to drip onto the bone. It was a mix of N-propyl Bromide and Acetone, a common dissolvent used in paleontology to reveal the fossil underneath the layers of dirt. She used a hard bristle brush to continue scraping away the layer. And she didn’t answer Maru’s question, knowing that would probably bother her the most. 

“Look, Abigail, I told you I didn’t issue that permit! My organization even seemed surprised.” 

She scraped away at another layer, admiring the colors of the fossil that the minerals had turned it. There was a little green streak running through the bone, evidence of serpentinite in the deposit. The silence was deafening. And Abigail was _annoyed_

“Look, _Maru_.” She mimicked back at her, “What do you want me to say? You’re constructing a huge metal ray gun over an important archaeological site.” 

“You said that you weren’t even digging there!”

“Does it look like I can be in two places at once?” 

“You can get research associates and interns to help you.” 

“I don’t need their help. I need that site to be protected.” 

Abigail had moved from her position of kneeling over the fossil, to standing and glaring at Maru. The two women had their eyes narrowed, Maru had her arms crossed and Abigail was balling her hands into her fists. It was a test of stubbornness and pride it seemed. And Abigail didn’t want to lose. 

“You’re going to destroy a habitat.” She pointed out to Maru, “And on top of that, threaten the integrity of human history.” 

“What good is human history if we can’t make it ourselves?” Maru spat.

The fury that swept through Abigail was familiar. Years of people telling her that her research was worthless all rolled into one moment. Right here. With this posh astrophysicist and her fancy clothes, acting like the desert was her playground to look at the useless sky. 

How pretentious! She thought. Thinking that the dead and gone moments in history were worthless to human experience. How arrogant, how conceited! Abigail was so frustrated. 

It was that feeling of digging into nothingness. That feeling of everyone in her life telling her to stop with the adventure, to grow up and find something worthwhile. And the manifestation of what they thought she should be stood in front of her, wearing designer cowboy boots for Yoba’s sake! 

In this moment, Abigail didn’t care about whatever bridge could have been formed between the two of them. Maybe once long ago, she dreamt of Maru joining their little group from high school. But now, years of resentment at everything that had landed her in a dinky old trailer in the middle of nowhere scraping by for funding had hardened her. She was older, tired, and cynical. So, it was this version of Abigail, with cold blue eyes and sunburnt skin, that looked at Maru and answered. 

“You know what’s useless?” she said in a low, chilling tone. “Looking for signs on life on another planet, because you can’t seem to have any life of your own.” 

The hurt that registered across Maru’s face was like watching the steam from hot stones doused with water. Shocking and pressurizing. Abigail waited for the crack, for the tears to well up, and the furious shout. Part of her felt intense shame for wanting that. Another part of her felt righteousness. As if the guilt and shame for knowing what mean thing to say was exactly what she deserved. 

But Maru let out a slow breath, and her face dropped into something even more vulnerable. 

“You’re right.” She said softly. 

She turned and walked away, her footsteps leaving impressions in the sand. In a few thousand years, they might become fossilized- forever imprinted in the desert for the next cynical archaeologist to find and in a twisted turn of misinterpreted events, defend.


	16. Levallois Technique

The High Priestess of the Desert waved her arms extravagantly, to disperse the smoke from the incense stick. The building she inhabited felt like stepping into a fugue state of different styles and time periods. The outside was painted pink, the building a mid-century modern architectural design, with an old neon light sign that stated the shop name: “The Oasis.”

The glass skylights allowed for lots of natural light inside the store. Which was part of the reason why the owner, Sandy (though Abigail knew that wasn’t her real name) had placed a large crystal on the ceiling. It reflected the natural light casting rainbows across the space, looking as if they were suspended in a tiny crystal aquarium. 

“Your energy is so negative today, Sweetie.” 

“It’s not really my week Sandy.” Abigail shrugged. 

“Well, I hope it doesn’t rub off on the crystals.” 

Sandy operated a mystic shop in Calico. The only mystic shop in Calico, and the only thing that passerby would actually come to look at. There were crystals, bundles of herbs, and jewelry all for the purposes of “aligning one’s chakra” and “finding inner enlightenment.” She also sold tarot cards, and in a strange choice, vintage costume furniture. Abigail was currently seated on a piece for sale; it was a velvet chair shaped like a scallop. 

“Did you want to do a card reading Sweetie?” Sandy asked, her long sweeping dress flowing behind her as she straightened things around the shop. 

“Nah, I’m just here to mooch off of your air conditioning.” Abigail admitted. 

“I think it’d help.” 

“Well, if you insist.” 

Sandy moved to grab a box from behind the counter and began to shuffle them. Then, she gestured for Abigail to shuffle them herself. So, Abigail began to fold the cards, letting them all collapse into each other and straighten. It was mesmerizing. She knew that this was how the cards read her “energy.” She also knew that this was a good way to meditate on a problem or question at hand. So, she asked the cards, and in turn asked the universe what had been haunting her for weeks. 

_“Why can’t I stop thinking about her?”_

The construction had started, and there were equipment trucks all over the desert. Abigail had taken to going to the Skull Cavern at night, where she was certain no one from construction would see her sneak past and disappear into the walls of the mesa. It was spookier at night, more dangerous. She’d emerge in the earliest hours of the morning, sneak back to her trailer, and collapse for the day. 

On some nights though, she saw a figure just outside the construction site. Billowing clothes, hair framing her silhouette, and face turned to the sky. Abigail learned that Maru liked to take long walks through the desert at night, face tilted upwards; she was always looking up, looking out. Sometimes Abigail paused in her sneak to the caves just to look at her. 

Maru had always been beautiful. At least, Abigail had always thought so. She had a feminine face, with high cheekbones and a beautiful, curved nose. Her eyes were the richest brown color, and they were so big. In high school, she had always covered up her body with the baggiest, most unflattering clothes. But here and now, Maru seemed free of all of that burden. She had a new wildness about her, a new unruliness that catered towards nature. In the glow of the desert moon, it appeared that her dark skin was lit from within. 

It didn’t matter. At least not now, when Abigail had pretty much burnt that bridge. Besides, she was still upset that a 25-meter radio telescope was currently in the process of being constructed right next to her excavation site. So, she disregarded that urge to go talk to Maru on those nights and buried herself quite literally in the depths of the caves. 

“The Hermit.” Sandy’s voice brought her back from the desert and Maru and straight to the card on the counter. 

“The Hermit shows that you are taking a step back from the cycles of everyday life to look inward. To find the answers that you seek, deep inside your soul.” 

“Well,” Abigail replied, “I guess that’s pretty spot on.” 

Sandy just gave her a mysterious smile and turned the next card over. 

“The Moon.” The dog and the wolf on the card were positioned like they were howling upwards. The tamed and untamed. Abigail didn’t need Sandy to tell her what this card meant, but the mystic continued on. 

“Be careful of making fast decisions when the Moon appears because you may realize later that you only had half the information you needed.” 

Abigail tried to ignore the “look” that Sandy was giving her. 

“What’s the last one?” she demanded. 

Sandy turned it over. A female figure was seated on a throne of cold marble. Angels and butterflies were etched onto the stone. She wore a cape emblazoned with clouds. One hand was outstretched, the other held an upright sword. 

“The Queen of Swords.” Abigail breathed, and a small tingle of spiritual familiarity swept through her. 

“The Queen of Swords is a truth seeker. The person who pulls this card is independent and a loner. Someone who finds it difficult to let down their guard. Someone with a lot of intellectual cynicism and a fear of letting anyone get close to her heart.” Sandy explained, in a far away tone. 

Abigail looked at the Queen. Her face was looking outwards, towards the future, towards the sky. 

“You should go apologize.” The woman behind the counter suggested. 

Outside, at the mesa, the final piece of an antennae was placed onto the massive telescope. A young woman stood before it, her brown eyes calculating and a small kernel of hope blossoming in her chest.


End file.
